Tony Hunt

On 3/14/2021 at 10:00 AM, lmagna said:

IF it is done by people like you and Jeff! Someone like me................. not so much!

 You're not alone, brother. 😀

That is looking really good. Fascinating to see these ancient techniques come to life in the model.

Looking good. Worth the trouble!

I'd love to see a picture of the trophy wall, Mark.

Tanami is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, I agree.

That is just extraordinary!

It's looking very nice Mark.  The Huon Pine should look great when its finished to that lovely curvy shape.

I occasionally crew on a boat that races with the Amateurs, mainly in the twilighters in summer. Byzance, an S&S designed Swan 40, blue hull. I'll have to watch out for Cherub!

On 3/2/2021 at 12:08 PM, druxey said:

Epoxy is the conservator's nemesis, Tony!

Oh, I absolutely agree. Epoxy glue in restorations is a complete no-no. However, this isn't the epoxy you're thinking of, it's as thin as water.  And it's quite flexible when dry.

As Bob says, CPES is a well-known example available in North America, but there are plenty of others and they are all pretty similar in my experience. It's pretty easy to mix up a dab of epoxy and then thin it with methylated spirits (aka denatured alcohol) to try out on a test piece.  I think it might work well for making paper sails, too.

Very good looking ship, Valeriy - I can see the attraction!

Nice!  I hadn't seen those model railway rivet decals before, they look really good.  Perfect for this application.

Hi Dan

Another possible contender to try for treating the lines is thinned epoxy.  There are quite a few commercial preparations on the market, most marine chandlers should stock it, it's used a surface sealer. You can also make it yourself using a comment solvent like methylated spirits and/or acetone as the solvent. Just mix the two parts of the epoxy and then thin it to the desired consistency.

The next phase begins!  I'm really looking forward to seeing how it progresses. 

Can I make a suggestion?  Use wire for the rigging, not thread.  So much more permanent. I've got a decorative model sitting on my bench at the moment that I made about 20-25 years ago that I'm now having to completely re-rig, as all the linen and cotton I used to rig it has perished.  I'm going to use wire this time!

Welcome Gaz!  Don't let all the masterpieces you see here put you off, there's room for everyone. 😀

Wow. I step away for a couple of minutes and look at the progress you've made!  That looks absolutely fantastic!  Amazing to think it's only five inches long, the crisp detail makes it look much bigger. I especially like the weathered effect you've achieved on the floorboards, that's a really clever and effective technique.

Best wishes, Bitao. I'm happy that your mother led a long a life.

That looks wonderful. 

Thanks James, they look really good.

Easy to waste a couple of hours browsing around their website, too! 😀

On 2/15/2021 at 10:55 AM, Louie da fly said:

 

Oh, that's just one of the giant hands I keep for when I photograph model ships. I got them from Kenny Everett . . .

 

Brother Lee Love!

Such a clever technique to make the links. I love it.

Exquisite.

Spectacular. 

I'm really worried that I'm going to run out of superlatives long before this build is finished. 

Lovely tight joinery!

1 hour ago, Phil Babb said:

Hi,

Are you positive this is an original prisoner of war model, looks very much on the heavy side to me ,but here to be corrected.

Phil

Like ship models (and modellers!) today, the quality varied!  It looks like a real one to me, although not as finely made as some.

That's a wonderful relic, Michael. Do you have any plans for it, or are you going to keep it "as is"?

On 2/3/2021 at 1:32 PM, TheAuthorsDaughter said:

Pat - Ron Haug is who my father has been working with down your way - via snail mail. He is a retired shipwright and he lives in S. Maroubra, New South Wales. He was also an excellent modelmaker.

Mr Haug is a Sydneysider, like me.  A quick Google search reveals he was a shipbuilder in Newcastle (a port city a couple of hours north up the coast) and is now 84 years old.  Maroubra is in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, with a well-known surf beach. 

I'd be happy to meet him!

I think Snug Harbor Johnny is onto a good suggestion. I've seen some amazing woodwork done with homemade plywood, made using very thin hardwood veneers glued together with two-part epoxy.  If the veneer is thin enough (i.e. about paper thin) the epoxy soaks it right through. The result is a material that is amazingly stable in all dimensions. You can make a four layer veneer with the two inner layers at 90 degrees to each other, and the two outer layers parallel to each other and at 45 degrees to the inner layers.